Cultivator



(Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

R. B. ROBBINS. Cultivator.

No. 242,418. Patented June- 7, 1881.

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Ewen/507".

n. Pneus. Puma-Limagnpher. washingwn. D. c,

(Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

' R. B. ROBBINS.

Cultivator.

Patented june 7,1881.

N. PETERS, Phneumognpher. wnnmgmm n. c.

(Model.)` BSheets-Sheet 3.

R. B. ROBBINS.

Cultivator.

Patented June 7,1881.

N. PErEHS. Phowmnngnplwr. Washington. n.6.

PATENT RICHARD B. ROBBINS, OF ADRIAN, MICHIGAN.

CULTIVATO R.

SPECIFICATION fori-ning part of Letters Patent No. 242,478, dated June '7, 1881,

Application filed March 29, 1880.

To alt 'whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, R. B. RoBBrNs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Adrian, in the county of Lenawee and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Gultivators; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to'which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being` had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters or gures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification, in which- Figure l is a side elevation ofthe machine; Fig. 2, a plan view Fig. 3, a perspective of one rail, hand-lever, and adjusting devices, one of the wheels removed, and portions of the ma chine broken away; Fig. 4, a perspective of one rail, showing the manner of attaching standard-iron thereto; Fig. 5, a side view of rail, and standard aftixed thereto, and shovel, the shovel and its connection to standard being in vertical section. It is also a rear view of the shovel, showing the notched sleeve secured thereto, and a separate view ofthe loose sleeve, through which the standard passes 5 and Fig. G is a perspective of both tongue and neck-yoke elevis, showing the mode of connecting the two together.

My invention relates to wheel-cultvators, butitis also applicable to harrows, gan g-plows, potato-diggers, planters, and other similar implements designed either for tilling the soil, planting, or harvesting root-crops, andit consists in the construction and in the combination ofparts hereinafter particularly described.

In the drawings, the letter A indicates the tongue, composed of two poles secured to the cross-bar B, and strengthened by the braces a bolted to the poles andthe cross-bar B, whereby any uneven strain is prevented from working` the parts loose.

To each end of the cross-bar B there are bolted or otherwise secured angle -irons C, formed with the lower horizontally-projecting spindles, c, upon which the wheelsD are journaled.

On the end of the tongue there is placed an iron, E, for the purpose of holding the two parts secure, and which is provided with a pin, at the front end, on which is formed a bit or ug, e.

(Model.)

upside down and given a haltturn it is securely locked, thus preventing the up-anddown motion ofthe neck-yoke on the tongue, and at the same time securing afree lateral or horizontal movement of said neck-yoke.

To each pole of the tongue there is bolted or otherwise secured an iron pendan t, G, braced by iron H bolted to the tongue, and secured and held in position by nutg on the lower end ofthe pendant G.

Upon the lower part of the pendant G there is placed an iron sleeve, I, which has a tree upand-down or perpendicular movement on the pendant. rlhe lower portion ofthe sleeve Iis formed with an extension, J, to which the rails of the cultivator are attached.

To the upper end of the extension J there is fastened the swivel-link K, which connects the sleeve I and the hand-lever L, hereinafter described.

rIhe seat M and seat-bars N are constructed and fastened to the poles of the tongue in the usual manner.

The hand-lever L is provided with a suitable fnlcruln, O, on the pole ofthe tongue A, and is connected to the sleeve I by the swivellink K.

The graduatingrack l? is bolted to the crossbar D, as indicated, and is provided with au L-ilange, Q, which, in connection with rack P, forms suitable bearings, on which is journaled a friction-roller, h, on which rests the short lever R, which is pivoted at one end to the handlever L.

To the free end of the short lever there is secured a chain, S, the other end of which is fastened to the rear end of rail T, as shown.

On the rear part ofthe hand or main lever L there is placed a locking device, composed of the rod U, spring t', and handle V, as shown. The rod U slides in guides j, which hold it to the hand-lever, and the spring z', which is coiled around the rod, fits between a shoulder formed thereon and one of the guides j, and presses the rod forward, so as to keep one end of it in contact with the ratchet-edge of the rack l?. The other end of the rod is joined to the handle IOO V, as clearly indicated in Figs. l and 3, and the handle is hinged to the hand-lever, so that when it is pressed in next to the hand-lever it will draw back the rod from contact with rack P.

By uniting the front and rear ends of the hand-levers, as indicated and described, with the front and rear ends ol' the cultivator-rails T, I am enabled at all times to keep the cultivator level when in the ground. Instead of using the short lever R, I may use a pulley on top of the rack P, and extend the lifting chain S over it and unite it to the main lever L. These short levers R are shown projecting to the rear, but they may be reversed it' desired.U

The front lever, \V, is fastened to the lockin g-rod U by means of a pin, 7.', projecting from the rod and passing through thetop ofthe footlever, and is further pivoted, below th at point, o a ange, X, depending from the under side of the hand-lever, and is lilnited inits movement and at the same time braced by the staplel passing over it and into the hand-lever. By thus attaching the foot-lever. to the lockingbolt the operator is enabled to raise and lower the culti vatorrails with his foot at will, as by placing his foot upon the lever WV and pressing forward it draws the locking-rod U from the rack P, and leaves the hand-lever L free to move up and down, as may be desired.

The parts ofthe machine as thus constructed and described may be used by detaching the rails T and substituting a harrow, gangplow, or any other similar implement designed either for stirring the soil, planting, or harvesting rootcrops. As shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, the machine is designed for cultivating corn and other crops planted in rows, to which shields and whiltletrees may be attached in the usual manner. In order to convert it into a field or fallow cultivator,I place between the rails T one or more center rails with shovels attached.

'Ihe standard-iron Y (shown in Fig; 4) is constructed so that its two parts will be at right angles to each other and one part, m, will bear across the bottom of the rail, and the other, a, along the side of the rail. The iron is secured to the rail byone bolt passed vertically through the rail and one part ofthe iron, and another passed transversely through rail and iron, as illustrated in Fig. 4, and when so secured the part a ofthe iron stands at an oblique angle to the length ofthe rail. By bolting the standard-iron to the bottom and side of the rail,in stead of the top and side, I am enabled to afford a brace to resist any lateral pressure on the standard which is pivoted to the iron at its elbow, and by passing the bolts through both iron and rail, as described, the rail is much less liable to split.

The standard Z is made of the form shown in Fig. 5, the upper end being slotted, as shown, and the lower part beveled to form a wedge, as illustrated, and made to terminate below the wedge in a rounded end, which is threaded. The standard is secured to the iron Y at its elbow by abolt passed through both, on which bolt the standard is free to turn, and it is further secured to the iron at the top by a friction-bolt, 0, passed through it and the slot in the upper end of the standard. By means of the bolt 0 and the nut thereon, and the slot in the standard, the standard, and through it the tooth or shovel, is adjusted to the pitch desired.

The upperend ofthe standard, along the slot therein, is beveled, so that when the shovel comes in contact with any obstruction the friction nut or bolt o will let loose much quicker than it would if the standard were made in the usual form.

The lower part ot' the standard, where it passes through the sleeve Af, is made wedge shape, and the extreme lower part, p, is rounded and threaded. The loose sleeve A is iliade so as to slip up over the wedge ofthe standard, and has a lug, q, formed on its lower face, which is designed to engage with any one ofthe slots made in the sleeve B, formed on the back ot' the shovel C.

The sleeve B', which is cast with or bolted to the rear of shovel C', has a hole passin gcentrall y through it, and is provided with slots 1, 2, and 3 at both top and bottom, so as to enable me to reverse the tooth or shovel when desired. These slots, in combination with the lug q on loose sleeve A, when the shovel is placedv on .the standard z, enable me to fasten the shovel with its face to the front, or so as to throw the dirt either to the right or left, as may be desired.

The tooth or shovel C is formed with a cutting-edge at each end, with one end much wider than the other, thus combining the ordinary bull-tongue with a common or ordinary cnltivator-shovel. By this combination I virtually secure two machines in one by simply reversing the ends of the shovels, and this is not only'a great convenience, but a great saving of expense. In cultivating corn when it is small and only necessary to stir the top of the soil I use the small point or bull-tongue; butlaterin the season, when the grain is larger, I reverse the shovel and cut the ground thoroughly. Also, in summer-fallow, when it is desirable to stir the entire surface, I use the broad cut; but in cultivating in wheat or other small grain, when it is only necessary to cover the saine, it can be done much more effectually by having the broad point up, as by so using it the dirt is thrown so as to more cornpletely cover the grain, and leave it more evenly distributed on the ground.

I am aware that levers, friction-balls, plowstandard pendants, and reversible teeth have been used in cultivators. I do not therefore claim any of these points, broadly; but

What I do claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The lever R and chain S, in combination IOO IIO

with beam T, lever L, rack P, and roller h, substantially as set forth.

2. The foot-lever WV, in combination with lever L, rack P, and locking-'bolt U, as described.

3. The lever L, provided with sliding rod U, and operatin g-spring, in combination with rack P, lever V, and foot-lever W, the several parts operating as described.

4. The reversible shovel C', constructed with one end Wider than the other, and provided with sleeve B', slotted as described, for the purposes set forth.

5. The standard Z, in combi nation with sleeve A', provided with lug q, and a shovel or tooth provided with sleeve B', slotted as described, for the purpose set fort-h.

6. The standard-iron Y, constructed as described and secured to the bottom and the side ofthe rail,in combination with theploW-standard, substantially as described.

7. The combination of a cultivator-beam, standard-iron Y, constructed and secured to the beam as described, and the standard Z, slotted and beveled along the slot and secured to said iron, as described, for the purpose set forth.V

S. The sleeve B', provided with one or more slots yat both top and bottom, in combination with a double-pointed shovel, for the purposes set forth.

9. The sleeve A', provided with lug' q, in combination with the standard Z and sleeve B, slotted at one or both ends, substantially as described.

Iu testimony whereot` I aftix my signature in presence of two witnesses. y

RICHARD B. ROBBINS.

Witnesses:

J. K. JOHNSON, A. BENNETT. 

